Package holder for cans and the like



June 3, 1958 F. J. ULLRICH I PACKAGE HOLDER' FOR CANS AND THE LIKE FiledNOV. 10, 1954 3 Sheets-She l (ym 1N VEN TOR.

' June 3 1958 l F. uLLRlcH 2,337,262

PACKAGE HOLDER Fon cANs AND THE LIKE v Filed Nv. 1o, 1954 j -ssheets-sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

@A EMP June 3, 1958 F. J. ULLRlcH 2,337,262

PACKAGE HOLDER FOR CANS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet5 OZ? iwf/y j /7 lm /a Unite PACKAGE HOLDER FOR CANS AND THE LIKE FredI. Ullrich, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Sutherland Paper Company,Kalamazoo, Mich;

Y Application November 10, 1954, Serial No. 467,980

6 claims. (cl. 229-411) i This invention relates to a package holder' orcarton for packaging a plurality of cans or like containers land otherarticles.

The main objects of this invention are:

First,to provide a collapsible tubular carton or holder adapted forpackaging containers having end projections or recesses whichl enablethe very rapid making ofthe package unit either by hand or by machineryand one which very securely retains the packaged articles.'v

Second, to provide an open ended tubular carton 4or holder of thearticle retaining type in which the tonguesv are supported in aninwardlydiverging relation to the walls by which they are carried sothat effective engagement of the tongues with the packaged article visassured A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a package unitincluding the holder of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

.-Fi'g'. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on a line correspondingto line 3 3 of Fig. .1, a container being indicated by dotted lines.

" Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on a line correspondingto line 3 3 of Fig. 1 of a modification.

A Fig. l5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectionlon a linecorresponding to line 5 5 of Fig. 3. K

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the holder isv formed withcertain parts at one edgev in extended position and corresponding partson the opposed edge folded inwardly to show their relation to the walls.f Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view on a line corresponding to 7 7of Fig. 6 showing further details of the structure.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the collapsed holder. Fig.Y 9 is aninsidel plan view of a slightly modified form of holder in extendedposition. g y

Fig. 10 is a plan View of a plurality of'blanks illustrating how theblank of Fig. 9 may be cut from a sheet of stock to utilizesubstantially all of the material thereof. '.Fig. l1 is an endelevational view of the holder in connection with a container.illustrating one method of applying the holder to the container orarticles packaged. In Figs. .1 and 2 I illustrate the packaging holderofmy invention in its relation toa group of three cans designated by thenumeral 101 and having chimes or rims 102 Vwhich result in recessed ends103.

lWhile they holder of my invention is adapted for use in packaging' a.wide variety of articles'it is conveniently illustrated in connectionwith cylindrical cans having the tates Patent recessed ends. The holderis desirably formed of an integral blank of paperboard as is illustratedin Fig. 6, and comprises opposed pairs of walls 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 witha sealing llap 5 at one end of the blank lapped upon and secured to theother end of the blank to form a tubular holder. Adhesive for thesealingap is indicated at 6. The walls 1', 2, 3 and 4 and the flap are arrangedin alignment inthe blank, the Walls and flap being -hingedly connectedby the hinging scores 7.

The opposed pair of walls 1 and 2 are provided with inturned flaps 8 and9'respectively desirably, as in the embodiment illustrated, at each endand the glue ilap is provided with end flaps 10. The flaps 8 and 9 areturned inwardly and adhesively secured to the inner sides of the wallsland 2, by adhesive indicated at 11 while the flaps 10 of the glue flapare turned inwardly and secured to the inner side of the glue ap 5 bymeans-of the adhesive indicated at 12.

' The walls 3 and 4 are provided with inwardly directed tongues 13 whichare desirably connected thereto by the scores 14. The scores15`facilitate the folding of the aps 8 and 9 upon the inner sides of theWalls to which they are secured. The tongues 13 are springably supportedin diverging relation to the side walls 3 and 4 due to the inherentresiliency of their hinge connections 14 to the sidewalls, resultingfrom compression and tension of the stock material on the inner side andouter side, respectively, of their hinge joints, when the tongues arefolded inwardly. The tongues are yieldably or springably supported ininwardly diverging relation to the walls Vfrom which they extend by thelinks or struts 16 which are llexingly connected to the ends of theflaps 8, 9 and 10 by flexing scores 17 disposed in alignment with thewall hinging scores 7. The struts are flexibly connected to the tonguesby means of exing scores 18.

When the blank is in the flat as shown in Fig. 7, the tongues arecollapsed ilat upon the inner sides of the walls as shown in Fig. 7.However, when the holder is erected from the collapsed position of Fig.-7 to the erected position of Fig. 5 end thrust is applied to thestruts` and the tongues are automatically swung to and yieldablysupported with their ends spaced relative to and in inwardly divergingrelation to the walls by which they are carried so that theyarevpositively engaged with the recesses or projections of the packagedarticle positioned in retained relation thereto." When the holder isllat or collapsed as shown in Figs. 3 and 7 the distance between thehinged connections 17 of the struts 16 to the aps 8 and 9 is the same asthe distance between the hinge connections 7 of the side walls 1, 2, 3and 4 to each other, but when the holder iserected as shown in Fig. 5with the flaps 8, 9'and 10, struts 16, andA tongues 13 all disposed onthe inner sides of the side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 then Athe distancebetween the hinge connections 17 of *the struts is less than thatbetween the hinge connections 7 of the side walls to each. other. Thisresults in the endwise thrust on the struts k16, above described, whenthe holder is .erected from ya 4collapsed position to a setup position.The struts serve to reinforce the tongues so that they cannot becomecrumpled or bent and thereby releasev the ypackage with which the*article is engaged without such force being applied as would destroy thepackage. They may be released if desired by inserting a knife blade orlike implement to lift the tongues.

The open packaged articles may be inserted sidewise into the holder fromthe ends thereof or the holder may be wrapped around the group ofarticles by positioning the group upon one of the walls provided withthe retaining tongues and the walls 1 and 2, and opposed tongue carryingwall swung to erected position, the holder being shown in partiallyerected position in Fig. 1l to 2,337,262 Patented June 3, 1.958V

correspond in width to the width of the tongues 13.

3' illustrate certain'of the: steps for thus assembling the package, YY.

The tongues of the top wall, which should be the wall 3, swing intodiverging relation relative to the wall 3Vandautomatically engage withinthe upper recesses of the packaged articles as' the walls are swung toposition to secure the sealing `hap to the wall 2 by the adhesive 6,.VThis methodof assembling the package is, in eect, wrapping the holderaround the group of packaged articles. Y

j The embodiment'shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is the same as that describedwith the exception ,that in cutting out the blanks they are arranged soas to economizc on stock, the tongues of one adjacent blank being cutout of the stock between the pairs of flaps 19. Y

In the lembodiment of Fig. 6 the aps 8, 9 and 10 In the embodiment ofFig. 9` the flaps 19 are narrower which permits further saving of stockas shown in Fig. 10; they however, serve as effective anchoring meansfor the linklike struts which areconnected thereto by the flexing scores21 aligned with the wall hinging scores 7. The struts or links 20 arelieqtibly connected to the tongues 22 at 23, otherwise the structure isthe same as that of the embodiment shown in the blank of Fig. 6.

v.ln the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 portions of the 'aps 8, 9 and 1t?are cut outat 24 to enable so-mewhat more ilat collapsing. However thereare no such cut out portions in the embodiment of Figs. 9 `and l0.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a very practicalembodiment thereof. I have not however at tempted to illustrate ordescribe yvarious adaptations that might be desirable for the packagingof articles than those illustrated as it is believed that suchmodification would be apparent to those `skilled in the art.

Having thus described .thev invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be securedfby Letters Patent is: j

l l. A tubular holder for packaging containers having projecting rims atthe ends thereof, said holder being formed of an integral cut and scoredblank of paperboard or thelike 4and comprising four walls and a sealingHap disposed in alignment inthe blank and connected by hinging scores,one opposed pair ofhwalls and the sealing flap having integral end flapsof substantial width folded inwardly upon and fkedly secured to theinner sides thereof in parallel relation thereto, the other pair ofopposed walls having inturned container rim engaging tongues disposedapproximately 4parallel thereto and springably connected to the endsthereof, rthe tongues ad-l jacent their swinging inner ends beingconnected to the adjacent end aps by integral links having ilexingconnections to the tongues and eXing score connections to the flapsaligned with the said hinging scores, whereby when the walls areinerected position the said connecting links are subjected to endwisethrustl and the tongues are springably supported with ltheir swinginginner ends in diverging relation to the inner sides of the walls towhich they are springably 4connected thereby facilitating theirengagement and retention of their engagement within the rims of packagedcontainers positioned between the first mentioned pair of walls.

2. A collapsible tubular holder for packaging articles having recessedends, said'holder 'being formed of an integral blank of paperboard orthe like and comprising four hingedly connected Walls, one opposed pairof walls having integral end aps folded inwardly upon and fuiedlysecured to the inner sides thereof in parallel 'relation thereto. theother pair of Aopposed walls having inturned article engaging tonguesdisposed approximately parallel thereto and' swingably connected to theends thereof, the tongues being connected to the adjacentflaps byintegral links having flexing connections to the tongues and havingflexing connections to the ilaps, the flexing connection to the flapsbeing aligned with the hinging connections of adjacent pairs of walls,whereby when the' walls arein erected position the straps'are subjectedrelation, thereto, the other pair of opposed walls having'l inwardlyprojecting article engaging tongues disposed in side by side relationthereto, and links integrally connecting the tongues to the adjacent apsand having ilexing connections therewith aligned withsaid hingingconnections of the adjacent pairs of walls, whereby when the walls arein erected position the links are subjected to endwise thrust and thetongues are yieldingly supported in inwardly diverging relation to thewalls to which they are connected to facilitate their engagement' withinthe recessed ends of the articles packaged.

4. A tubular holderfor packaging articles having projections at the endsthereof, said holderv comprising'opposed pairs of hingedly connectedwalls, one opposed pairof walls having end flaps folded inwardly uponand xedly secured to the inner sides thereof in approximately parallelrelation thereto, the other pair of opposed walls having inwardlydirected tongues yieldably connected thereto and struts for said tonguesflexably connected to said flaps, the flexing connections for the strutsto the llaps being aligned with the hinging connections for the adjacentwalls, whereby when the walls are in erected position, the struts aresubjected to end thrust and yieldably support the tongues in inwardlydiverging article engaging position.

j 5. A collapsibletubular holder for packaging articles comprisinghingedly connected pairsv of Walls, one opposed pair of walls havinginwardly directed article en gaging tongues on their end edges, andtongue supporting struts flexibly connected to the inner sides of theother pair of Opposed walls ,with their flexing connections thereto inalignment with the' hinging connections for the adjacent walls, saidstruts being connectedV to said tongues so that when the walls arecollapsed the tongues and said supporting struts collapse on the innersides of the walls in adjacent side by side relation thereto and whenthe walls are adjusted on their hinging connections to erectedpositionthe tongues are springably supported: 1n an inwardly diverging relationto the walls at a greater;`

distance from the walls than when the walls are in said collapsedposition.

6. Av collapsible tubular article packaging holder comprisinghingedlyconnected walls, one opposed pair of wallshaving inwardlydirected article engaging tongues swingably connected thereto, andtongue supporting struts secured upon the inner sides of the other pairof op'- posed walls andhaving a flexing connection therewith.

aligned with the, hinging connection of adjacent walls and-havingflexing connections to the tongues so that when the walls are positionedin angular relation the strutsyieldably support the tongues in anadjacent side by side and'inwardly divering relation to the walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiT'D STATES PATENTS2,713,453 Williamson -f July 19, 1955

